Social buttons

Languages

MLS Wrap: New England sink Sounders

A first-half annihilation saw New England Revolution destroy Western Conference leaders Seattle Sounders 5-0 in the MLS on Sunday.

Published

12 May 2014

Seattle had won their past four games but they had no answer to the Revolution at Gillette Stadium as the home side stormed to a 4-0 lead at half-time, led by a brace from Uruguayan attacking midfielder Diego Fagundez.

The result saw Real Salt Lake move within two points of Seattle in the West's standings, while the Revolution extended their unbeaten run to five matches.

New England hit the front in the 14th minute at their home ground in Massachusetts with a smart move down the left ending with a cross from Fagundez and although Teal Bunbury failed to convert his tap in at the back post, Patrick Mullins turned home the rebound.

Fagundez made it 2-0 in the 29th minute when Seattle failed to clear a corner effectively and the ball came back to the Uruguayan teenager on the left side of the penalty area and he buried his shot.

With 10 minutes left in the first half, Bunbury made up for his earlier miss, finishing on the rebound, after Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei had saved the striker's first effort.

A counter-attack in the 41st minute saw the hosts essentially end Seattle's resistance with Bunbury producing a fine switch to Fagundez, who took one touch before volleying the ball home.

Any hope the Sounders had of pulling of a second-half comeback were dashed in the first minute after half-time when Seattle defender Chad Marshall deflected Bunbury's shot past Frei.

The victory - New England's third in a row - saw the Revolution stay in touch with the Eastern Conference-leading Sporting Kansas City on 17 points.

Sporting lead the East with a plus eight goal difference, while New England (plus four) sit three points ahead of DC United, Houston Dynamo and New York Red Bulls.

A hat-trick from Javier Morales saw Real trounce Houston Dynamo 5-2 in Texas to continue their unbeaten start to the season.

Real have not lost in 10 games and have a game in hand on Seattle.

It took just 15 seconds for the visitors to open the scoring in Houston with Morales chipping Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall from outside the box.

Morales made it 2-0 in the 17th minute from a corner but Houston pulled a goal back in similar fashion five minutes later thanks to Mark Sherrod's close-range volley.

A red card in the 27th minute changed the game when Dynamo's Servando Carrasco slid into Morales and Real took advantage after the half-hour mark through Alvaro Saborio's glancing header to make it 3-1.

Houston striker Giles Barnes then had a penalty saved but Sherrod dragged the hosts back into the contest 11 minutes after half-time with a low strike.

A goal down, Dynamo pushed hard for an equaliser but Real managed to score next when Luke Mulholland rounded Hall with 12 minutes remaining to finish into an empty net and Morales capped off the visitors' victory and his hat-trick with an 89th minute penalty.

In Portland, Los Angeles Galaxy looked certain to win when Robbie Keane scored with a header in the 92nd minute only for Diego Valeri to equalise for the home-town Timbers three minutes later, securing a 1-1 draw.

In Sunday's other game, Chivas USA won 3-1 at Colorado Rapids to end a three game losing streak.